--- title: "Donald Trump Put Elon Musk on the Phone With Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy" description: "During his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump decided to include his number one campaigner, Elon Musk." date: "2024-11-11" modified: "2024-11-11" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/donald-trump-elon-musk-zelenskyy-call" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "donald trump" - "elon musk" - "the digest" - "ukraine" --- # Donald Trump Put Elon Musk on the Phone With Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy ![During his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump decided to include his number one campaigner, Elon Musk.]() *BUTLER, PA - OCT. 5: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks with former president Donald Trump during a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. This is the first time former president Donald Trump has returned to Butler since he was injured during an attempted assassination on July 13. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) \Image: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images\* ## Dialing In During his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just one day after the election, president-elect Donald Trump decided to include his number one campaigner: Elon Musk. First [reported by *Axios*](), this three-way call was apparently less tense than one might expect. According to insiders *Axios* spoke to, Zelenskyy was reassured by what he heard from the billionaire pair amid speculation about how a second Trump presidency will affect the United States' relations with Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing invasion. One of those sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity so they could discuss the matter freely, said that it "didn't leave Zelenskyy with a feeling of despair." In particular, the Ukrainian president was heartened that the call happened so soon after the election, one of *Axios*' anonymous sources claims. Notably, the Zelenskyy call occurred days before [Trump spoke to Putin]() — and during that exchange, which seems to have happened without Musk, he advised his Russian counterpart not to escalate his years-long incursion in Ukraine. ## From Russia With Love During the 25-minute call, Musk told the Ukrainian leader that he'd continue supporting Ukraine via Starlink satellite. That reassurance was also likely welcome to Zelenskyy following reports last month indicating that [Russian forces were using Ukraine's Starlink]() access to their own ends. It's also curious that the South African-born technocrat was put on the call given that just a few weeks ago, the [*Wall Street Journal* reported]() that Musk had been [having secret phone calls with Putin]() since late 2022 — the same year Russia invaded Ukraine. During those chats, [Putin purportedly asked Musk]() not to provide Starlink access to Taiwan at the behest of Chinese President Xi Jinping — and given that the disputed country [still doesn't have Starlink](), it appears that the billionaire acquiesced. It doesn't appear that those clandestine chats were discussed during the relatively brief call between Trump, Musk, and Zelenskyy. Nevertheless, we'd love to hear what the trio *did* talk about. **More on Musk:** [*Elon Musk’s Daughter Vivian Says He’s a "Delusional and Grubby Little Control Freak"*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()